Mumbai City outshoot Goa to enter ISL final
NEW DELHI: It was a bit of goalkeeping brilliance from Mumbai City and FC Goa’s profligacy in front of goal that eventually decided the fate of their ISL semi-final tie in Bambolim on Monday. In a game dominated by FC Goa, league champions Mumbai City managed to eke out a goalless draw before winning the tie that finished 2-2 on aggregate on penalties and book their berth in Saturday’s final.
Both sides changed their goalkeepers ahead of a dramatic penalty shootout that ended 6-5 in Mumbai City’s favour with both sides taking nine kicks each.
Mumbai looked a shadow of the side that won the league phase as they failed to pose any significant threat to Goa’s goal. However, a fine performance by Mumbai keeper Amrinder Singh and a number of missed chances by Goa proved the undoing for the latter.
FC Goa coach Juan Ferrando made three changes to his side, with Ivan Gonzalez and Alberto
Noguera, suspended from the first leg, returning to the line-up alongside Redeem Tlang. Seriton Fernandes, Princeton Rebello (both injured) and, notably Spanish forward Igor Angulo, made way. Sergio Lobera, coaching against his former employers, also made three changes to his line-up with Hernan Santana, Amey Ranawade and Rowllin Borges starting in place of Mandar Rao Desai, Mehtab Singh and Bartholomew Ogbeche.
Unlike the first leg, both teams were more guarded in this game. Goa gradually started taking charge and fashioned their first chance of the game in the 23rd minute when Amrinder parried away a shot from Noguera, only for the ball to fall to Tlang. The former Shillong Lajong winger’s shot though was blocked by a diving Ranawade. Five minutes later, Goa’s Jorge Ortiz tested Amrinder again with his curling free kick forcing the custodian from Punjab into making a diving save. One of the best chances of the game fell to Goa in the 48th minute when a cross from the left flank was diverted to the path of Alexander Jesuraj. The 24-year-old winger’s shot from close range was met by Amrinder’s fingertip save.
At the hour, Amrinder’s intervention kept things even when he kept out a powerful diving header from Goa substitute Ishan Pandita. More chances came Goa’s way but Ferrando’s side failed to take advantage. Having survived the 90 minutes, Lobera brought on Ogbeche for Mumbai at the beginning of extra time. Goa boss Ferrando responded by introducing the league’s jointtop-scorer Angulo in place of Noguera and India international Brandon Fernandes for Savious Gama in the 102nd minute .
Amrinder had more work to do a couple of minutes later when he palmed away a free kick from Edu Bedia. In the 113th minute, Amrinder rushed out of goal and did just enough to prevent Pandita from getting a touch after a defensive mix-up had put him through on goal.
At the other end, Goa keeper Dheeraj Moirangthem had little to do throughout the game.